Thread: Polymerized Tung Oil

Thanks for the info. I'm sure I'll pickup much more as I move along, but I still have one thought.

I was applying a coat of tung oil to the scales, then I took another look at the canister and realized "hey, the scales will fit entirely in there". Since you say tung oil is all about penetration, could I just put the scales in the tin of tung oil, screw the lid back on, and leave em in there for 15mins to let it really soak in? or would that be too much saturation?

Soaking will work. I soak the scales/boxes for about 20-30 minutes in a puddle of Polymerized Tung Oil Sealer. Then wipe off all excess. Let dry and repeat with light sanding between coats.

I also found that the sealer works better than the oil. The latter is too thick to build up a nice finish and tends to accumulate polimerized gel globs in the can after a few uses. I diluted my polymerized tung oil with mineral spirits to turn it into a tung oil sealer.

About 3-5 applications seal the surface and even out the grain. Every next coat needs less soaking. Let dry at least 24 hours after the last coat before buffing.

If you want to build up the finish then you have to continue by applying thin coats and leave alone, no wiping. Can't soak because the coat is too thick.

I used a strip of leather (chamois used to dry cars after washing) as an applicator. I use surgical clamps to hold the leather. The piece is about 1/2" x 1" folded over length wise and width wise to make 4 ply thick 1/4"x1/2". If you vacuum it before use then you get a nice, lint free applicator.

Light sanding with 1000 or 2000 grit in between coats or #0000 steel wool.

The last few coats have to be perfect if you want a gloss finish. No sanding between coats. This will take about 8 to 12 coats but has the best finish that I have tried so far. Too bad it takes so long that I no longer feel like doing it.

Before you drop the scales into the can, make sure you can get them out without making too much of a mess!

Well, my experience with the poly tung oil seems to be coming along nicely. I started with 3 coats of the sealer and so far am up to 3 of the normal poly tung oil. Each coat I've given it I let the scales sit in the tin of tung oil for about 30 mins. Then pull them out and wipe with a tissue. Also, when dry between coats, I sand with some #0000 steel wool.

The glossy finish it seems to be taking is quite remarkable. Looks just as good, if not, better than CA; and, seems to have a softer feel to it.

I still have a few questions though.

Vlad, you said that for a glossy finish, there must be no sanding on the last few coats and that they must be perfect. Is this really absolutely neccessary? I've sanded with #0000 steel wool between coats and it always seems to come out glossy after the next coat dries. Perhaps it's because I'm using poly tung oil whereas you mentioned you're using a diluted poly tung oil.

Also, When I do sand the scales, they come out with a matte finish. Is it possible to buff this to a high gloss in a similar manner that one would do with CA? I figured I'd just try it, but I'd rather ask first than spend so much time testing it out.

The tung oil finish is softer than CA that is the reason you can't polish it. You can try and see if you get better results than I did. When I tried I found that it does not polish but dulls.

What I found is that the last few coats need to be applied without sanding or you won't get maximum gloss. Every coat gets glossier that the one it is applied on. Without sanding it reaches maximum gloss after about 3 coats.